Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands have come to the conclusion that first-person shooter games can games enhance the brain's working memory, according to a report by the BBC (by way of GameSpot).

The results, which were recently published in the journal Psychological Research compare tests of working memory of participants who played at least five hours of shooter games weekly to a control group of participants who never played video games. Working memory refers to the brain's ability to remember things in the short or near term. It is also important for problem solving tasks such as doing arithmetic in your head or following directions in real-time.

"We think that video game experience trains your brain to become more flexible in the updating and monitoring of new information, enhancing the memory capacity of the gamers," says Dr. Lorenza Colzato from Leiden University's cognitive psychology unit.

Dr. Colzato adds that FPS games "require players to develop a flexible mindset to rapidly react and monitor fast moving visual and auditory stimuli" and that researchers "believe that gaming is a fast and easy way to enhance your memory."